Metro Weekly

Out On the Town: D.C. arts & entertainment highlights — June 28-July 4

Everything arts and entertainment in the D.C. area this week

King Kong (1933)

FILM

DAVE CHAPPELLE’S BLOCK PARTY

As part of its Rock Doc series, the American Film Institute presents a special screening of this 2005 film by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), created at the height of the success of Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central. Interspersed with comedy sketches from the D.C.-bred comedian are interviews with Erykah Badu, the Roots, Jill Scott, Yasiin “Mos Def” Bey, Kanye West, and Lauryn Hill and the reunited Fugees. Inspired by the ’70s-era film Wattstax, the footage was recorded at a daytime concert on the streets of Brooklyn. Wednesday, July 4, at 7:15 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $8. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

KING KONG

As part of its Capital Classics series, Landmark’s West End Cinema offers special screenings of the original monster horror flick on Independence Day. Fay Wray stars as the apple of the giant gorilla’s eye in the 1933 classic directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, with groundbreaking stop-motion animation by Willis O’Brien and a musical score by Max Steiner. Wednesday, July 4, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m., 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO

Sicario was a surprise smash in 2015, with Emily Blunt’s performance as an FBI agent tasked with bringing down a Mexican drug cartel leading a wave of critical praise. A sequel seems obvious, but there are a few key elements missing: original director Denis Villeneuve, composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, and cinematographer Roger Deakins, all of whom earned acclaim for their work, as well as Blunt herself, replaced by Josh Brolin’s character from the first film. At least Benicio del Toro is still here to assist Brolin in ending a terrorist-smuggling operation. Opens Friday, June 29. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

THE FIRST PURGE

Well goddamn. Who knew the producers of dystopian action horror franchise The Purge would offer one of the most pointed jabs at the Donald Trump presidency? The films are set in a future where, each year, America has a 12-hour period in which all crime — even murder — is legal. The First Purge plans to detail how it all began, and promos for the film are directly tying it to Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” rhetoric — there’s even a red hat emblazoned with “The First Purge” — and it’s all intended to make murdering other Americans seem palatable and even patriotic. Given the current state of affairs, this doesn’t seem as extreme as we might once have thought. The film itself will likely be hot garbage, but for its ad campaign alone, we offer all the applause. Opens Wednesday, July 4. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

The Tempest — Photo: DJ Corey

STAGE

1776

The quirky Landless Theatre Company continues to twist the traditional, this time with a production of a patriotic musical dramatizing the days leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Andrew and Melissa Baughman head a cast that also features Matt Baughman, Clay Comer, and Alex Throne. Local elected officials and community leaders will make cameo appearances — including Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor and Rick Weldon, former Maryland Delegate and current Vice President of the Frederick Chamber of Commerce. Friday, June 29, and Saturday, June 30, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 1, at 2 p.m. Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St. Frederick, Md. Tickets are $17 to $20. Call 301-600-2828 or visit weinbergcenter.org.

AIN’T TOO PROUD

The Kennedy Center presents this new musical about The Temptations, a group that churned out 42 Top 10 hits, including 14 No. 1’s. Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys) directs and Sergio Trujillo (Memphis the Musical) choreographs a production featuring classics everyone knows — from “My Girl” to “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” to “Just My Imagination.” To July 22. Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $59 to $159. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

CAMELOT

Alan Paul, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s resident musical director, takes on Lerner and Loewe’s classic about the powerful love triangle in King Arthur’s court. Ken Clark plays the King, while Nick Fitzer is Lancelot du Lac, both in love with Queen Guinevere, played by Broadway star Alexandra Silber. Legends Ted van Griethuysen and Floyd King are also featured in a show with choreography by Michele Lynch, who won a Helen Hayes Award for her work on STC’s Kiss Me, Kate. Extended to July 8. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

DANCING IN MY COCKROACH KILLERS

GALA Theatre closes its 42nd season with the D.C. premiere of playwright Magdalena Gómez’s sassy bilingual musical featuring music and musical direction by Desmar Guevara. Conceived and directed by Rosalba Rolón and a co-production with Rolón’s Pregones Theater/PRTT of New York, Dancing In My Cockroach Killers is a rollicking show with characters inspired by family, friends, and Latino icons as varied as Lolita Lebrón, Joe Cuba, and Iris Chacón. To July 1. Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $45. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.

MURDER BALLAD

The new Maryland theater company Free Range Humans launches with a production of this Off-Broadway rock musical by Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash, performed inside a working Frederick distillery. This whodunit explores the complications of love and relationships — with a focus on a doomed love triangle — and stars TJ Bolden, Allison Bradbury, Matt Hirsh, and Kylie Smith. Remaining shows are Thursday, June 28, and Friday, June 29, at 8 p.m. McClintock Distilling, 35 S. Carroll St., Frederick, Md. Tickets are $30. A pre-show distillery tour and tasting is available for an additional $5 by signing up at mcclintockdistilling.com. Visit experience-human.com.

NOBODY DIES ON FRIDAY

The D.C. premiere of an ironic and rueful play by Robert Brustein, founding Dean of the Yale School of Drama. Nobody Dies on Friday focuses on the relationship between Marilyn Monroe and the Strasberg family, headed up by her acting coach Lee Strasberg, the longtime Actors Studio director considered the father of “method acting.” Brustein’s examination into the unhealthy obsession with Monroe and Hollywood in mid-20th century America draws upon biographies of Monroe and Strasberg as well as the playwright’s own recollections as a rising New York theater critic at the time. Mollie Goff portrays Monroe in a cast including Bill Hurlbutt, Susan Schulman, Emily Sucher, and Joe Savattieri. To July 1. Lab I Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $15 to $25. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

On the Town — Photo: Stan Barouh

ON THE TOWN

Three sailors romp around New York in 1944. Olney Theatre Company revives this early musical that features an exuberant score by Leonard Bernstein. The original show grew out of a ballet that Jerome Robbins had worked on with Bernstein, further developed by the writing and lyricist team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Olney’s starry cast includes Evan Casey, Rhett Guter, Sam Ludwig, Donna Migliaccio, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Bobby Smith, and Rachel Zampelli, with Robbins-inspired choreography by Tara Jeanne Vallee. The company’s artistic director Jason Loewith helms the show. To July 20. Mainstage, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

OTHER LIFE FORMS

D.C. playwright Brandon McCoy wrote this romantic comedy about two very different roommates and their attempts at finding love online. Starring John Loughney, Josh Sticklin, Aidan Quartana, Brianna Letourneau, and Shanta Parasuraman. To July 7. 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 202-265-3768 or visit keegantheatre.com.

THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS

Joe Calarco directs Signature Theatre’s take on Kander & Ebb’s final musical collaboration, a breathtaking critique of a true story of racism and injustice from 1931. Eight years after The Scottsboro Boys debuted on Broadway, the D.C. premiere features an ensemble cast including Jonathan Adriel, Malik Akil, Christopher Bloch, Chaz Alexander Coffin, Felicia Curry, C.K. Edwards, DeWitt Fleming Jr., Andre Hinds, Darrell Wayne Purcell, Aramie Payton, Lamont Walker II, Joseph Monroe Webb, and Stephen Scott Wormley, with choreography by Jared Grimes. To July 1. MAX Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.

THE TEMPEST

For its production of Shakespeare’s shipwreck classic, Avant Bard is donating half of all ticket sales in its final weekend to RAICES Texas, which provides services to refugees and immigrants at the southern border. In addition to being timely, the “Welcome Tempest-Tossed” campaign is also relevant to a production that frames the story as one of refugees and exiles, torn apart by what the Bard called acts of “mountainish inhumanity.” Tom Prewitt, the company’s current artistic director, directs a cast headed by the man he succeeded in the role, Christopher Henley. To July 1. Theatre Two in Gunston Arts Center, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $30 to $35. Call 703-418-4808 or visit wscavantbard.org.

COMMUNITY STAGE

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Claudia Bach directs the Maryland-based community troupe Rude Mechanicals’ production of one of Shakespeare’s most controversial yet increasingly relevant plays. The Merchant of Venice focuses on a Jewish man who seizes an opportunity to make his wealthy and mythically splendorous city confront the injustice and cruelty that lurks beneath its gold-plated surface. Weekends to June 30. Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway. Greenbelt, Md. Tickets are $20 to $22. Call 301-441-8770 or visit rudemechanicals.com.

A Capitol Fourth 2018 — Photo courtesy of Capital Concerts

MUSIC

A CAPITOL FOURTH: JOHN STAMOS, PENTATONIX, JIMMY BUFFETT

It’s not something you’ll want to do every year — there’s far too many tourists — but everyone should experience the National Symphony Orchestra’s A Capitol Fourth concert at least once (or even twice). Jack Everly leads the NSO in a performance of American favorites and classical masterworks, while several military bands will add to the patriotic spirit, a celebration of the country’s 242nd birthday. (Damn, we’re getting old.)

The 38th annual show, broadcast on PBS, features John Stamos as host with a lineup that includes The Beach Boys, Pentatonix, the Temptations, and Jimmy Buffett with the Broadway cast of his musical Escape to Margaritaville. Also on tap: Luke Combs, Lauren Alaina, CeCe Winans, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. It concludes with the NSO performing Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture as the soundtrack to what organizers tout as “the biggest, most distinctive fireworks display in the nation.” Wednesday, July 4, at 8 p.m. West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org/nso for more information.

ERIC FELTEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Some of the Washington area’s finest musicians perform in this ensemble, led by its namesake trombonist and singer, whose voice has been compared to Michael Buble and Harry Connick Jr. The focus of its annual 4th of July show is “The Big Band Sound of WWII.” Tickets remain for Tuesday, July 3, at 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $27.50, plus $5 fee and $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

Imagine Dragons — Photo: Eliot Lee Hazel

IMAGINE DRAGONS

For every thudding, soul-crushing anthem like “Radioactive” and “Thunder,” this Las Vegas band surprises with intriguing, sweet bursts of pop/rock, many with clear influence from hip-hop, such as “I Bet My Life” and “Whatever It Takes.” The group is even more relevant and appealing now that its lead singer Dan Reynolds has become an activist, pushing his fellow Mormons to accept their fellow LGBTQ family members, chiefly through his new documentary Believer, which documents the torment many gay Mormons have been put through. Imagine Dragons returns to the area for another stop on its Evolve Tour, this time with special guest Grace VanderWaal. Monday, July 2, at 7 p.m. Jiffy Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow, Va. Call 703-754-6400 or visit livenation.com.

FOO FIGHTERS W/THE STRUTS

Twenty-three years into their run, Dave Grohl and company continue to be as powerful a force in rock as ever — and the Virginia-reared Grohl is still regarded as the nicest, humblest frontman in the business. After kicking off as the debut headlining act at I.M.P.’s newest venue last fall, the Anthem on the Wharf, the band returns with its new Concrete and Gold Tour. The British glam rock band the Struts opens. Friday, July 6. Doors at 5:30 p.m. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are $60 to $125. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit merriweathermusic.com.

JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: JOSH BAYER JAZZ, BLACK MASALA

The National Gallery of Art offers free outdoor concerts immediately after work every Friday through late August. Bands offering a range of jazz styles, from swing to Latin to ska, perform amidst the museum’s collection of large-scale sculptural works while patrons enjoy food and drink, including beer, wine, and sangria, as sold by the Pavilion Cafe and outdoor grill. The 2018 series continues with the Josh Bayer Jazz swinging ensemble on June 29, and then a special post-4th of July toast from D.C.’s nine-piece Balkan and funk brass band Black Masala — which includes members of Thievery Corporation — on July 6. Evenings from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sculpture Garden, between 7th and 9th Streets NW. Call 202-289-3360 or visit nga.gov.

NSO: HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

Steven Reineke leads a magical evening under the stars for Potter fans, with the third installment of J.K. Rowling’s series screening on projections overhead as the orchestra plays John Williams’ score. Fans are even encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters. Friday, July 6, and Saturday, July 7, at 8:30 p.m. Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $40 to $65. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

PAPERHAUS

The popular D.C. band, consisting of founder Alex Tebeleff, Matt Dowling, and Rick Irby, makes rhythmically oriented, psychedelic rock with a mournful edge, recalling everything from Joy Division and the Doors to experimental contemporaries Deerhunter and Lower Dens. Any fans of melodic electrified rock will be hooked by the hazy, moody rocker “Told You What To Say,” from last year’s Are These The Questions That We Need to Ask? Fellow D.C. acts Park Snakes and Bacchae open, with between-sets music from DJ Hipsterwoods. Saturday, June 30. Doors at 7 p.m. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. Tickets are $15. Call 202-388-ROCK or visit rockandrollhoteldc.com.

RARE ESSENCE W/E.U. FEAT. SUGAR BEAR

Rare Essence, dubbed the “Wickedest Band Alive,” has been chugging away at go-go for more than four decades — ever since a group of elementary students at St. Thomas More Catholic School in Southeast D.C. got together to tinker around with a then-new percussive style of funk. Soon enough, the gang — shepherded by several no-nonsense moms — became one of the premier outfits of this thoroughly homegrown, locally popular sound, performing regularly with the band led by go-go’s late godfather Chuck Brown as well as another formed by students at the neighboring Ballou High School. That band, known as E.U., or Experience Unlimited, gave the world the genre’s signature hit, the Grammy-nominated “Da Butt,” as well as “Shake Your Thang,” a collaboration with Salt-N-Pepa. E.U. remains a thriving entity under the direction of its founder, singing bassist Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott. Expect musical fireworks of the best kind when the Hamilton brings together the two bands for a great toast to the city and the nation on the eve of Independence Day. Tuesday, July 3. Doors at 7 p.m. 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

SAM SMITH

Smith’s voice is strong and packed with enough emotion to provide a counterweight to the relative blandness of the material on his latest album, The Thrill of it All. His feelings may be deep, but aside from the male pronouns, wordplay, and queer referents on the standout track “Him,” Smith never manages to get very far in conveying thoughts and feelings beyond the broad, sweeping and universal. What makes his latest work disappointing is the feeling of wasted potential. He could very likely do so much more, even if he stuck within the piano ballad-driven confines he seems to have imposed on himself. The feelings may all be there and they may indeed be deeply felt and genuine, but going to pains to find a common denominator flattens them into something bloodless and without the teeth it might have had. At the very least, it’s likely to be more soul-stirring performed live. Tuesday, July 3, at 8 p.m. Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. Call 202-628-3200 or visit capitalonearena.com. (Sean Maunier)

Sarah Mclachlan — Photo: Kharen Hill

SARAH MCLACHLAN

A year after stopping at Merriweather Post Pavilion on tour with Paul Simon, the founder of Lilith Fair returns for a summer gig in Maryland. The Canadian crooner will fill Strathmore’s acoustically rich Music Center with the sounds of her quiet-storm ballads, performed as part of a solo piano show. Friday, June 29, at 8 p.m. 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $66 to $146. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

SERENADE! 8TH ANNUAL CHORAL FESTIVAL

Co-presented by Classical Movements, the Kennedy Center offers a free week-long festival of choral music featuring 12 professional ensembles from 14 countries, this year built on a theme of celebrating South Africa’s Nelson Mandela. Still to come in this year’s Serenade! are Millennium Stage concerts by the Ensemble Tyva Kyzy, the only all-female throat-singing group from southern Siberia, performing on the same bill with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Canada’s first professional group dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles, on Thursday, June 28; Tiharea, a singing, dancing, and percussion-playing trio of sisters from southern Madagascar, with Afro-Venezuelan singer Betsayda Machado and her lifelong group La Parranda El Clavo, on Friday, June 29; and the Howard University Gospel Choir, the first collegiate choir of its kind in the world, sharing the stage with the group Countermeasure from Canada, on Saturday, June 30. The festival draws to a close on Sunday, July 1, with performances from all 12 ensembles — also including the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir of Australia, the Indonesian Children and Youth Choir, the Olga Vocal Ensemble from the Netherlands, and the Chennai Children’s Choir of India — in the Concert Hall. This concert, “Mandela at 100: Songs of Hope, Justice & Unity,” includes the world premiere of a commissioned work by South Africa’s Qinisela Sibisi featuring the entire Serenade! mass choir conducted by Scott Tucker of the Choral Arts Society of Washington. All shows at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

STEPHEN STILLS & JUDY COLLINS

Roughly 50 years ago, Stephen Stills first met Judy Collins, and the two singer-songwriters’ tumultuous, short-lived love affair helped inspire their musical output of the time and remains a transformative era for both. So much so, they’ve decided to reunite — professionally speaking — and are performing together for the first time ever on stage. They’ll play standards from their rich folk catalogs as well as new tunes from their joint Stills & Collins album Everybody Knows, released last September. Saturday, June 30, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $39 to $129. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

WICKED JEZABEL

Pauline Anson-Dross’ popular lesbian all-covers party-rock band Wicked Jezabel has been rocking — as well as raising money for various good causes — all over the region for a decade now, originally under the name The Outskirts of Town. The ladies return to their main stomping grounds in Virginia on Friday, June 29, at 9 p.m. JV’s Restaurant, 6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church. Call 703-241-9504 or visit jvsrestaurant.com.

Dakshina Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company Fall Festival of South Asian Arts Sanctuary —
Photo: Rama Vaidyanathan

DANCE

DAKSHINA: FESTIVAL OF SOUTH ASIAN ARTS

Daniel Phoenix Singh’s dance company presents two programs as part of this 15th annual event. Madhavi Mudgal, one of the leading classical dancers of India and a highly renowned exponent of the Odissi style, brings her namesake dance company to town for an evening kicking off with a performance by Nadhi Thekkek of the San Francisco-based bharatanātyam dance company Nava Dance Theatre, on Saturday, July 7, at 7:30 p.m. The following evening features New York-based artist Mesma Belsare and a performance incorporating her experiences as a visual artist and actor into her work as a dancer in the classical bharatanātyam style. This show, on Sunday, July 8, at 5 p.m., opens with a Bharatanātyam Duet from the North American-based husband-and-wife couple Tanya & Puneet Panda. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $35 each performance. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

COMEDY

THE SECOND CITY: GENERATION GAP

The full title of the latest show from Chicago’s famed troupe created especially for the Kennedy Center is Generation Gap…Or, How Many Millennials Does It Take to Teach a Baby Boomer to Text Generation X? Expect a satirical crash course spanning miscommunications, careers, dating, and more in a two-act, interactive spin on what the troupe calls “the age-old battle of the ages.” To Aug. 12. Theater Lab. Tickets are $49 to $59. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Kim Roberts — Photo: Jon Gann

READINGS

ALISSA QUART

The “Outclassed” columnist for The Guardian offers an eye-opening report on the middle class in Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America. Drawing on her reporting of the challenges working parents face, Quart tells stories of people struggling to negotiate the unstable job market, high childcare costs, limited parental leave, and a lower standard of living than what they grew up with. Quart will be in conversation with Barbara Ehrenreich, author of the classic Nickel and Dimed, with whom Quart co-founded the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, a nonprofit for reporting on inequality. Friday, June 29, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.

JORGE IGNACIO CORTIÑAS, NATASHA TRETHEWEY: LANGSTON HUGHES & NICOLÁS GUILLÉN

During a special discussion at the Kennedy Center titled “Harlem to Havana: Two Poets, Two Worlds, One Friendship,” the Cuban-American playwright Cortiñas and U.S. Poet Laureate Trethewey present a reenactment of the friendship and literary collaboration between two great jazz-age poets: America’s Hughes, the gay Harlem Renaissance leader, and Guillén, regarded as the national poet of Cuba. Verses and correspondence written by the two poets will be shared along with anecdotes and additional material detailing the two writers’ exchanges with and influences on each other’s work. Saturday, June 30, at 11 a.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are free and will be distributed 30 minutes prior to the event in front of the theater. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

KIM ROBERTS: A LITERARY GUIDE TO WASHINGTON, D.C.

National Geographic Traveler placed Washington at No. 8 in its Top 10 list of the world’s most literary cities. Roberts, a D.C.-based freelance historian and writer, aims to help the everyday resident uncover some of the literati in our midst through this walking tour and anthology, subtitled Walking in the Footsteps of American Writers from Francis Scott Key to Zora Neale Hurston. Saturday, June 30, at 3:30 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.

Paul Cézanne:
Boy in a Red Waistcoat, 1888–1890
oil on canvas — Image:
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: A GREAT LEAP OF FAITH

A display of prominent artifacts highlighting the history of citizen participation, debate and compromise from the nation’s formation to today. The American experiment is still alive, if not altogether well at the moment, but it has endured rough times before and this exhibition, at the Smithsonian’s American History Museum, highlights the various ways in which leading figures have strived to make the country “a more perfect union.” Objects include Thomas Jefferson’s portable desk he used to draft the Declaration of Independence, the inkstand Abraham Lincoln used to draft the Emancipation Proclamation, and the table on which Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments. Ongoing. 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanhistory.si.edu.

BETHESDA PAINTING AWARDS 2018

Carolyn Case of Cockeysville, Md., was selected as Best in Show in this 14th annual juried competition produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District. Case, a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, received $10,000 for the honor, while Khanh Le of D.C. took second place, earning $2,000, and Caleb Kortokrax of Baltimore won third and $1,000. Through June, Bethesda’s Gallery B features an exhibition with paintings by all three winners along with the competition’s five other finalists — Baltimore’s Emma Childs, who won the Young Artist Award and $1,000, Kim Abraham of Alexandria, Sarah Boyts Yoder of Charlottesville, Leigh Anne Chambers of Courtland, Va., and Stephen Towns of Baltimore. Through June 30. 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E. Call 301-215-6660 or visit bethesda.org.

CEZANNE PORTRAITS

The first exhibition devoted to the often-neglected portraits from the famed post-impressionist. Some 60 works, on loan from collections around the world, are on display, showing Cézanne’s unique vision in the genre and exploring the unconventional aspects of his portraiture and the role his portraits play in the development of his radical style and method. The National Gallery is the sole American venue for the traveling exhibition. Through July 1. West Building, 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call or visit nga.gov.

HILL CENTER GALLERIES: REGIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION

Over the years, this exhibition, featuring works in various mediums and subjects, has grown to include over 100 artists from D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. This year’s juror is Annette Polan, portrait artist and professor emerita of the Corcoran College of Art + Design at the George Washington University. Artists represented include: Mary Ellen Abrecht, Kasse Andrews-Weller, Cedric Baker, Kimberley Bursic, Aukram Burton, Marilyn Christiano, MarieB De Amicis, Sam Dixon, Nancy Freeman, Ric Garcia, Larry Gomez, Tom Greaves, Sharman Johnson, Yassaman Kashanipour, Glen Kessler, JoAnn Lamicella Laboy, Diego Montoya, John Pacheco, Sabiyha Prince, Judy Searles, Davood Tashayyod, Carol Ward, Patricia Whittle, Justin Worrell, and Karen Zens. Now to Sept. 22. Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.

MICHAEL CROSSETT: FAIR CARD VALUE

For his first solo exhibition at Long View Gallery, the gay mixed-media artist has incorporated iconography from the Metro system into his signature graffiti-inspired, hand-pulled silkscreen prints, comprised of hundreds of layered portraits of D.C. landmarks and streetscapes. Some pieces take the shape of the now obsolete Metro fare card, with the familiar magnetic stripe running the length of the ride side of the artwork. Others, focused on prominent D.C. establishments including the Black Cat and Dacha Beer Garden, are backdropped by the iconic, coffered architecture of Metro stations. And then there are the images of Metro cars in motion running through the middle of many of his artworks, nodding to the speed at which the city is changing. On display through July 1. Long View Gallery, 1234 9th St. NW. Call 202-232-4788 or visit longviewgallery.com.

NONOTAK: NAKED EYES

The latest immersive show at ArTecHouse, D.C.’s innovative science-meets-art gallery, is billed as a “celebration of light” and presented in partnership with the Optical Society, the American Physical Society, and the American Institute of Physics. Developed by illustrator Noemi Schipfer and musician Takami Nakamoto working together as Nonotak, the Paris-based duo’s first solo exhibition in the U.S. transports viewers into a dreamlike environment where they’re encouraged to follow the lights as they see them — exploring the medium in three-dimensional fashion across four sculptural light and sound installations. During evening hours, the gallery once again offers specially made, technology-enhanced cocktails from what is touted as “the first Augmented Reality Cocktail Bar in the United States.” Closes Saturday, June 30. ArTecHouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets for 60-minute, timed-entry sessions are $12 for daytime or $15 for evening admission, not including drinks. Visit artechouse.com.

QUEERING SOUND: DUST JACKET

The annual experimental music concert took place the first weekend in June, but this year’s edition also spawned a month-long exhibition influenced and inspired by Man Ray’s photograph of Marcel Duchamp’s The Great Glass covered in dust motes, Élevage de Poussière. Works reinterpreting or subverting lyrics, sound, and musical ephemera from an assortment of LGBTQ artists and allies — including Metro Weekly‘s Todd Franson — will be on display, with a percentage of sales benefiting the host venue and a queer charity TBA. Through June 30. Rhizome DC, 6950 Maple St. NW. Tickets are $10. Visit rhizomedc.org.

THOM HALLER: PILLOWS AND PRINTS

Miss Pixie’s offers an exhibition of pillows and prints featuring quirky, playful pop culture images, all digital art collages made by a D.C.-based artist who is in the process of launching the site popnpillows.com. In all, there are 47 artworks — 25 pillows and 22 prints — and all priced under $100. Through June 30. 1626 14th St. NW. Call 202-232-8171 or visit misspixies.com.

UNITED/DIVIDED 2: AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Robert Miller, deputy director of photography at the Washington Post, has juried the second installment of an annual exhibition in Glen Echo Park’s Photoworks Gallery featuring works exploring the connections and divisions of the nation and in the nation’s capital. Represented photographers include William Edwards, Robb Hill, Sumaiya Haque, Carol Balassa, Diane Charnov, David Heagy, Mercedes Jelinek, Morton H. Friedman, Ray Alvareztorres, Michael Jourdan, Geoff Livingston, Sasha Hull, and Brian Dailey. On display through July 1. 1st Floor of the Arcade Building, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Md. Call 301-634-2274 or visit glenechophotoworks.org.

FOOD AND DRINK

CITY TAP PENN QUARTER: 4TH OF JULY BEER-BQ BATTLE

D.C.’s original City Tap location is toasting Independence Day with this fourth annual barbecue battle, a competition with regional brewing companies 3 Stars, Evolution Craft, and Center of the Universe. Guests will vote for their favorite grilled foods as prepared right on the City Tap patio by the three brewers as well as the host restaurant — plus the BBQ staples of potato salad and coleslaw. In addition, the bar will be serving special a la carte concoctions, including frozen mugs of John Daly’s hard ice tea/lemonade, stout beer-ice cream floats, and shandy cocktails. Finally, it wouldn’t be a proper patriotic bash without a prize for the customer dolled up in the most patriotic attire — earning them a $100 City Tap gift card. Wednesday, July 4, from Noon to 5 p.m. 901 9th St. NW. Tickets are $18 for a BBQ sampler platter. Call 202-733-5333 or visit pennquarter.citytap.com.

ROSÉ ALL DAY AT THE YARDS

The hippest restaurants in D.C.’s Navy Yard area, including Chloe, District Winery, Due South, Piccolo Morini, and Whaley’s, are all participating in a one-day festival focused on varietals of wine that come in the once-shunned shade of pink. Yes, everything these days seems to be about rosé, rosé, rosé — whether offered in sparkling, frosé, or rosé cider form. A total of nine different types will be poured at multiple outdoor pop-up bars as part of a festival that also features live music and, to quote the festival’s official flowery language, “perfectly pink instagrammable installations, such as flower walls, fashion sketches, and a garden lounge.” Saturday, June 30, from 1 to 5 p.m. The Yards Park, 355 Water St. Se. Tickets are $10 including custom wine glass monogramming, or $40 for a Rosé Gold VIP Package with access to the Rosé Garden at Whaley’s for a Coconut & Pina Colada, flight of three rosés, and six River Keeper Oysters per person. Visit theyardsdc.com.

Independents Day — Photo: Sam Bruck / Georgetown BID

ABOVE AND BEYOND

JULY 4TH AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

The home of America’s founding documents offers special morning programming on America’s birthday. The day commences at 9 a.m. with a live performance by the local band Brass Connection, followed at 10 a.m. with a Declaration of Independence Reading Ceremony hosted by Allison Seymour of Fox 5 and featuring remarks by Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero, and of course reenactors portraying historical characters. The ceremony also features presentation of colors by the Continental Color Guard and a performance by the Fife and Drum Corps. The morning concludes with the National Independence Day Parade starting at 11:45 a.m. Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW. NW. Call 202-357-5000 or visit archivesjuly4.org.

INDEPENDENTS DAY GEORGETOWN

A few days before Independence Day comes a play-on-words twist on the holiday in Georgetown, where over 35 merchants will offer discounts, refreshments, activities and entertainment as part of a second annual toast to the spirit of small business. Presented by the Georgetown BID and set for this Saturday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Independents Day includes promotions such as: 20 to 50 percent off spring and summer clothing at the Phoenix; 50 to 70 percent off summer items at Fornash; 50 percent off all wares at Jill Hinckley Pottery; 15 percent off sofas, storage units, and dining tables at BoConcept; 15 percent off Red, White, and Blue Macaron Boxes at Olivia Macaron; 10 percent off all American wines, plus a spiked lemonade tasting, at Bacchus Wine Cellar; one free side dish with the purchase of a Taco Trio at Chaia; and limited edition doughnut ice cream sammies at District Doughnut. Additionally, from 12 to 3 p.m., there will be patriotic food — hot dogs, cotton candy, funnel cake — and festivities, including an Uncle Sam stilt walker and several Washington Nationals Presidents, as well as live music, face painting, and games in the lots of TD Bank and Fornash. Visit georgetowndc.com/independentsday.

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!